RENAISSANCE
Dania Irshad
B.Arch III Year(Day)
History of Architecture
Dania Irshad B.Arch III Year(Day) 1
Q1. What do you understand by Renaissance? How did it lead to a new dimension in arts and architecture?
"Renaissance" is a French word meaning "rebirth“ or “revival”. The Renaissance is a period in the history of Europe
beginning in about 1400 and following the Medieval period. The period is called by this name because at that time, people
started taking an interest in the learning of ancient times, in particular the learning of Ancient Greece and Rome. The
Renaissance is seen as a "rebirth" of that learning. The Renaissance is often said to be the start of the "modern age".
In historical terms the Renaissance is important because it
led to a major shift in European thought and
worldview. While the Renaissance is considered to have
begun in the city-states of the Italian peninsula in the 14th
century, the main ideas of the movement eventually
spread to all of Europe by the 16th century. The most
significant changes that emerged as a result of the
Renaissance can be seen in European architecture, art,
literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, politics,
religion and science. Historians have identified several
causes for the emergence of the Renaissance following
the Middle Ages, such as: increased interaction between
different cultures, the rediscovery of ancient Greek and
Roman texts, the emergence of humanism, different
artistic and technological innovations, and the impacts of
conflict and death.
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Causes that led to Renaissance in Italy:
Increased Social Interactions: The vast trade networks known as Silk
Roads, helped in exchange of ideas and thoughts which ultimately
changed the outlook of the people living in a rigid European society
which was not very open to change. Furthermore, religious and
philosophical beliefs from the time period spread easily along the routes
and had a profound impact on later events such as the Renaissance. For
instance, after the Islamic faith originated in the Arabian Peninsula in the
7th century it quickly spread throughout the Middle East, Africa and even
into parts of Europe, as traders brought their faith with them on the Silk
Road. This influx of new ideas inspired people in Europe including artists,
writers, philosophers and more.
Crusades: Beginning in 1095 CE, the crusades saw European knights and
noblemen travel to the Middle East in an attempt to capture the Holy
Land away from Muslim people that had controlled the region for the
previous centuries. In reality, there were many different crusades.
It caused the religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam to clash. This
clash of religious ideals caused a sharing of ideas between the different Figure : Silk Road
religious groups and helped the principles of each religious faith to
spread into new areas. Beyond religion, the interaction between different
groups of people led to a spread of scientific and philosophical
knowledge.
At the outbreak of the crusades in the 11th century, the Middle East was
a major center of learning and knowledge. Middle Eastern civilizations
were at the crossroads of the Silk Road and therefore benefited greatly
from having access to both European and Asian knowledge. The
Europeans learned new understandings about mathematics from Middle
Eastern mathematicians who were by far the most advanced at that time.
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Rediscovery of Ancient texts: The intellectual culture of the Innovation: The printing press was one of the
Renaissance was sparked by the rediscovery of the ancient most significant innovations in all of world
philosophies and ideas. Many of these were preserved by Islamic and history. German blacksmith, goldsmith and
Jewish cultures in the Middle East and were not rediscovered by printer Johannes Gutenberg developed the first
Europeans until the time of the Renaissance. Famous Italian printing press in the mid-1400s and it quickly
Renaissance scholar and humanist Petrarch’s rediscovery in the 14th had a profound impact on the events of the
century of Cicero’s letters is considered to be the start of the Italian Renaissance (as well as later events such as the
Renaissance. This was a fundamental shift from the feudalistic and Enlightenment). The Gutenberg Bible was the
religious life that was the reality for most people in the Europe in the first book to be mass produced on the
Middle Ages. As such, Petrarch’s actions are considered to be Gutenberg printing press. The invention and
important to the emergence and growth of the overall Renaissance. use of the printing press in Europe was
important for the Renaissance because it
allowed new ideas and worldviews to spread
across the continent more easily. With the
mass production of books and other literature
more poor and middle class people in Europe
began to read. Increased literacy challenged
the power of the wealthy, nobility and the
church, since they were the traditionally the
only educated citizens. Since more and more
people could read they no longer had to
depend on local priests and the Catholic
Church for interpretation of the Bible. In fact,
many people began to read and interpret the
Bible for themselves. This ultimately led to
the Protestant Reformation and fundamentally
altered religious life for people in Europe.
Figure : Printing Press Figure : Johannes Gutenberg
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Renaissance Art: Previous to the Renaissance, in the Middle Ages, art was much more stylized and focused on religious
themes. European artists were inspired to create paintings and sculptures that focused more on the realities of everyday
life and real people. Realism and the human form were important and central to the new styles of art. Humanism
influenced Renaissance and focused on realistic themes rather than glorification of religious texts.
Renaissance artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo pioneered new skills and techniques, such as linear
perspective, that allowed them to portray people and the world in news ways. Linear perspective was the technique of
providing realistic depth to an image. The masterful work of art, Mona Lisa, does not focus on religious themes or stylized
depictions of the world but rather shows an unknown woman in a realistic fashion. Michelangelo’s famous sculpture ‘David’
displayed the human form in a realistic and proportional nature.
Black Death: It is one of the most important
events in Western history and is the most famous
pandemic in all of human history. It occurred
during the 14th century and ravaged human
populations throughout Asia and Europe as it
spread along trade routes and through trading
ports. At the time, there were no clear reasons
for the spread of the disease and people did not
understand how to stop it. Many people
Figure : Mona Lisa Figure : Leonardo da Vinci suggested that it was god’s will and used their Figure : Black Death
religious understanding to explain its
spread. Some people to questioned the
authority of the Catholic Church and allowed for
new ideas and change to enter into European
society. The large death rate caused massive
changes in the population and wealth of Europe
and shifted the balance of power and wealth and
helped bring about the dominance of several
city-states in Italy, which is where the
Renaissance first began. Figure : Black Death
Figure : Michelangelo Figure : David
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Influences on Art and Architecture:
• Geographical: Florence was one of the powers of Italy so the influence of activities impact the whole
of Italy and the neighbour states.
• Geological: The quarries of Tuscany supplied large blocks of stone and marble, which, being near the
surface, were easily obtained for building purposes, and the monumental character and massiveness
of these materials considerably influenced the style of the architecture.
• Climate
• Social and Political: A new intellectual movement manifests itself sooner in literature than in
architecture, and thus the former influences the public taste. Dante (1265-1321), Petrarch (1304-
1374), and Boccaccio (1313-1375) aided in the spread of the newly-discovered classic literature, which
caused a revolt against mediaeval art, and the subsequent fall of Constantinople in A.D. 1453 caused
an influx of Greek scholars into Italy, whose learning was an important influence in an age which was
ripe for a great intellectual change. Thus a revival of classic literature produced a desire for the revival
of Roman architecture. Italian architecture was naturally the first to be affected, because the Gothic
style had never taken a firm hold on the Italians, who had at hand the ancient Roman remains, such as
the Pantheon, the Basilica of Maxentius, the Colosseum, the remains of the great baths, and the
Roman fora. In Italy, therefore, where feudalism had never fully established itself, and where the
municipalities had developed a spirit of municipal enterprise, practically a direct return was made to
Roman forms.
• Religion: The invention of the printing press helped in the spread of knowledge which led to freedom
of thoughts. In Italy, revival and reformation of architecture took place and churches were erected on
large scale.
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Examples of Renaissance Ornamentation
Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster
Figure : Pilaster
Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster Figure : Pilaster
Source: History of Architecture, Banister Fletcher
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Q2. Why Renaissance began in Florence in 1400s?
Of all the city-states of northern Italy, Florence took the lead in the revival of classical civilization. Florentine
intellectuals searched monastic libraries and rediscovered important classical works. Francesco Petrarch, who
uncovered the writings of the Roman authors Cicero and Livy, is credited with first proposing that a humanist
education replace the medieval scholastic education. Therefore, he is known as the “Father of the Renaissance.”
Due to these Florentine intellectuals, the search for ancient manuscripts became a craze throughout northern
Italy. Other Florentines also led the way in the recovery of classical architecture and sculpture. The architect,
Filippo Brunelleschi, was inspired by the dome of the Pantheon in Rome to create a dome for the cathedral in
Florence, managing to vault a wider space than had ever been spanned
before. Likewise, sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti was inspired by surviving Roman sculptures when designing bronze
reliefs for the Baptistery Doors in Florence; and Donatello’s David, was the first free-standing nude statue since
Roman times. Similarly, it was Florentine artists who, by inventing a technique called depth perspective, first
showed how to make a two-dimensional surface convey the illusion of three dimensions. And, of course, these
men inspired other Florentines, such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Machiavelli, to look to the classics for
inspiration.
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Florence was a part of Northern Italy, which differed from the rest of Europe. They have higher concentration of cities
than any other part of Europe. Florence, Milan, Rome, Venice, Genoa, Turin, Pisa, Siena, Padua, Bologna, Ravenna,
Urbino, Modena, Verona, Mantua, Ferrara, Lucca, and Perugia were all located in relatively close proximity to one
another.
As an urban society, 14th century Florence resembled ancient Greece and Rome more than it resembled the rest of
medieval Europe. The ancient period had been a time of urban civilization. When political and social problems arose in
the Italian cities, it was natural for people to look for solutions in the ancient classics, literary products of a society much
like their own, with concerns and problems much like their own. Medieval literature, which was largely religious, was
less relevant to urban problems.
About one third of the population was in the upper and middle classes. Known as the “popolo grosso” (the “fat
people”) they had disposable income and were generally well educated. In a competitive environment, the wealthiest
popolo grosso used patronage to maintain their political influence and social status. They commissioned beautiful
paintings and sculptures to be placed in public squares and in local churches and monasteries. They paid for the
building of libraries and for the renovation of sacred buildings. And, they became avid art and book collectors. The less
well-off popolo grosso families were smaller merchants and professionals such as physicians and lawyers. They tended
to be clients of the more powerful families.
The bottom two-thirds of the urban population were known as the “popolo minuto” (the “little people”). They were
artisans (carpenters, masons, butchers, bakers, tailors, etc.), servants, and paupers. Florence was one of the wealthiest
regions in Europe. The geography of Italy – the peninsula sticks far down into the Mediterranean – positions it well for
trade. Before the voyage of Christopher Columbus gradually shifted trade routes to the Atlantic seaboard, the
Mediterranean trade was the most lucrative in Europe. Florence and Milan were important centers of manufacture and
distribution. In short, the popolo grosso of northern Italy had a lot of disposable income to spend on books, paintings,
sculptures, and buildings.
The Roman ruins that still dominated the urban landscape bore ample testimony to classical civilization. Italy had a
greater concentration of ruins than elsewhere. Italian intellectuals, artists, sculptors, and architects didn’t have far to
look for inspiration.
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Despite the appearance of democracy and republican government,
the Medici were, in effect, the rulers of the city by heredity.
Though the family undertook great measures to preserve its
power, the Medici remained private citizens. In fact, Cosimo would
often reject those who begged him for favors claiming he could do
nothing to help them, being only a private citizen. However, this
tongue-in-cheek rejection vastly belied the truth of the situation.
The Medici were second only to the Papacy in power during the
Renaissance, and likely contributed more to the spirit of the times
than that body. Florence was known as the center of the
Renaissance, attracting thinkers and artists to the city through the
reputation of its benevolent rulers and producing thinkers and
artists from the schools sponsored by the Medici and others.
Florence prospered during the Renaissance because of its lines of
communication to the world around it. In the late Middle Ages,
the city became important as a crossroads for wool traders.
Giovanni and Cosimo de Medici used banking to make Florence a
crossroads for finance. With these connections established,
Florence became a crossroads for ideas. The city was opened up to
the ideals and philosophies of distant lands, and absorbed these
into the writing and art it produced; that art then flowed freely
outward to the rest of Italy and the European continent. The
Medici maintained the stability of these connections through
financial and political means. The connection they established
with the Papacy was particularly beneficial to both Florence and
Rome. The two cities, which might have otherwise been rivals,
mutually developed under the spirit of cooperation during the Figure : Cosimo
Renaissance: Rome provided a destination for many Florentine
artists and writers, and Florence benefited from the management
of the papal purse.
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Architect Brunelleschi
The Dome of Florence
Cathedral (A.D. 1420-1434)
was Brunelleschi's principal
work, his design being
accepted in competition.
It is said that it was
constructed without any
centering, with voussoirs
having horizontal joints. It
covers an octagonal
apartment 138 feet 6
inches in diameter, and is
raised upon an octagonal
drum in which are circular
windows lighting the
interior.
The dome itself is
constructed of inner and
outer shells, and is pointed
in form, being constructed
on a Gothic principle with
eight main ribs and sixteen
intermediate ribs.
Figure : Florence Cathedral
Source: History of Architecture, Banister Fletcher
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Examples of Renaissance
Figure :Palazzo Strozi Figure :Palazzo Ricardi
Source: History of Architecture, Banister Fletcher Source: History of Architecture, Banister Fletcher
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Bibliography
History of Architecture, Bannister Fletcher
https://www.brainly.in/question/1169374#readmore
https://www.historycrunch.com/causes-of-the-renaissance.html#/
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